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Microsoft Launches Optional Age Verification for UK Xbox Users Ahead of 2026 Deadline

Early next year unverified Xbox accounts in the UK will maintain game access with social features limited to friends only under a one-time ID, credit card, phone or Yoti biometric check.

If you've played Xbox since the days of the original Duke controller, perhaps you shouldn't have to scan your face or an ID to prove your age.
Xbox at Gamescom 2022
Image
Microsoft Xbox Series X

Overview

  • Microsoft began an optional age-verification prompt for UK Xbox accounts on July 29 to comply with the Online Safety Act’s requirement that adult content hosts confirm user ages.
  • Players over 18 can verify their age using a government-issued ID, credit card check, mobile provider confirmation or Yoti’s facial age-estimation tool, with all personal data encrypted and not stored.
  • Starting early 2026, unverified accounts will lose access to nonfriend social features such as voice and text communication, party invites, custom clubs and looking-for-group tools.
  • Xbox vice-president Kim Kunes said the UK rollout will be evaluated to shape future implementations of age verification processes in other regions.
  • Ofcom enforcement powers include fines up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover, a regulatory backdrop that has already driven platforms like Discord and Reddit to adopt similar checks.